


Canonball

by m0rkl



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:31:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0rkl/pseuds/m0rkl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of ficlets, one shots and drabbles based on ideas, headcanons and AUs on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

           

Based off of[ this post](http://stylistic-innocence.tumblr.com/post/142960043362/link-listens-to-christian-rock-so-allen-never-lets)

* * *

 

 

 

            Allen glanced at Link, catching his eye for a brief second. He shuffled nervously, knowing he had to wait for the blonde man to make the first move. In some attempt to maintain their composure, both men proceeded to power walk to the 2005 Cadillac. Every morning it was a fight to reach the auxiliary cord first. Whoever got there first would control the music for the fifteen-minute drive to campus.

            Being the one in control of the keys, Link decided to play dirty and locked the passenger door until he was sitting comfortably in the drivers seat. With a smirk he took the auxiliary cord and plugged his Order issued phone in. Allen slid into the car grumbling about cheating and some other dark mutterings. Having to listen to bad Christian rock first thing in the morning did little for his mood.

            “Link please!” The younger man gave his best watery goo goo eyes and clutched his phone under his chin. It was a cheap trick, but honestly he would do anything to avoid listening to twenty minutes of Jesus taking the wheel. “I’ll even play a Christian song first!”

            “Really, now?” The inspector knew better than to fall for Walker’s big doll eyes, for he knew all too well that the boy was practically a demon. Still, it was hard to resist when those silver eyes bored into his soul like that. Growling softly, Link rubbed the crease between his brows. “You’ll play music that’s appropriate?” He unplugged his phone and held the auxiliary cord between his fingers.

            “It’s Christian song. They sing about loving Jesus!” Allen nodded quickly and reached for the cord. For a moment, Link pulled it away, but he gave in and let Allen plug his phone in. The boy smiled brightly and suddenly Link got a very bad feeling. However, when the song began to play, he was mildly surprised. It was a pleasant little piano intro with two young women singing. Deciding that this was good enough, he shifted into reverse and pulled out of the car lot.

            While Link was focused on the road, Allen flicked through his phone, hiding a small grin. Clearly, the inspector hadn’t been paying attention to the song after he deemed it appropriate. A little less than two minutes into the song, Allen turned the camera at Link then waited for the right moment to crank the volume.

            “FUCK ME IN THE ASS CUZ I LOVE JESUS” The music boomed from the speakers, definitely loud enough for someone outside the car to hear.

            “Oh my! Walker!” Screeched Link as he swerved out of shock. He gawked at the cackling teen, wide eyed and horrified. “Turn that off this instant!” But Allen couldn’t hear him over the sound of his own laughter. “This is last time I’m trusting your musical decisions!” He barked.

            Honestly, Allen didn’t care. It was worth it for the look of pure horror on the blonde man’s face and the seven seconds of footage that he was about to post. If he knew his friends at all, the Vine would be on at least five different social media platforms before they reached campus. With a satisfactory smile, Allen watched Link fume silently, probably thinking about how the hell he was supposed to put this into his report.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And of course the song is The Loophole by Garfunkel and Oates. If you don't know it, you should go listen to it right now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the post about Allen being a complete fashion disaster

            “Allen!” Lavi rapped on the door to the small apartment again. If he didn’t open up soon, the red head was pretty sure he could kick the door in with one good hit.

 

            “I’m coming, I’m coming!” The muffled voice came through. After a few seconds of a lock clinking the door swung open, revealing a boy with white stark white hair. But the hair wasn’t what caught Lavi’s eye.

 

            “Jesus fuck Moyashi!” He burst into laughter, leaning against the door frame for support.

 

            “What? What’s wrong?” Allen grumbled, debating on whether or not Lavi deserved to be hit for whatever he was laughing at. Timcampy trotted by, rubbing affectionately against the boy’s legs.

 

            “What the hell are you wearing?” Lavi said after regaining his composure. The younger man was in his usual white dress shirt, but it was unbuttoned and underneath was a dark green t-shirt that was obviously from some volunteer group he had been in. He also had on a pair of ill fitted, hole filled jeans held up by a brown belt that in no way matched his black dress shoes. “Did you get dressed blind folded or something?”

 

            “You said casual!” He huffed, seeing nothing wrong with his attire. “These are the only pair of jeans I own.”

 

            “Oh, man.” Wiping a tear from his eye, Lavi got out his phone and quickly snapped a picture to send to Lenalee. “There is no way I’m being seen in public with you looking like that. Get back inside, we’ll wait for Lenalee to get here.”

 

            “What’s wrong with my clothes?” Allen whined as Lavi pushed him back into his apartment, scooping up Tim in the process. “You’ve never complained about them before.”

 

            “That’s because I’ve only ever seen you in work clothes, our uniform or sweats.” Lavi sent a few more texts then bounded into Allen’s cluttered little room, dragging the younger boy along. “Do you really think that’s acceptable outfit?”

 

            “Yes? I’m not some fashionista hipster like you Lavi.” Allen took in Lavi’s outfit consisting of a floral bomber jacket, a white t-shirt, tight black pants and a pair of chunky heels that only served to make his 6 ft 4in frame even taller. And of course the red head never went without his many gold earrings, this time with a necklace and bracelets to match. “I don’t really care how I look so long as my clothes are clean.”

             
            “Okay, that might work for you, but for me it would be a travesty to be seen with—well...” He trailed off, looking Allen up and down. Kicking a pair of sweatpants on the floor, Lavi began scanning the room. “Let’s see... what can we work with?” With a groan, Allen sat on his bed with his cat and watched his friend sort through his clothes, sniffing them to gauge if they were clean or not. “Is this really yours? It’s more like my size.” He said, holding up a black cardigan.

 

            “I think I stole it from Cross. It probably just got mixed in with my laundry.” Allen laid down, hanging his head backwards off the edge of his bed.

 

            There was a knock of the door. “That’s probably Lena.” And he flounced off to answer the door.

 

            “Lenalee Lee to the rescue!” She called as she entered Allen’s room. The Chinese girl was wearing a pale green dress with shimmery grey tights and black heels that laced up like her pointe shoes. “Lavi’s right, Allen. You need help.” Allen whined in response, annoyed that his friends found his sense of fashion to be so horrid. “Luckily, you’ve got the two most fashionable people in town on hand!” From her bag, she pulled out a pair of grey jeans. “These should fit you, though they might be a little long.”

 

            “Are these your pants?” Allen asked, almost mortified. “Those won’t fit me! And if they did, they wouldn’t be too long! We’re the same height.”

 

            “Just shut up and get in Lenalee’s pants!” Giggled Lavi, earning a smack on the head from both of his friends.

 

            “Just try them on okay? My legs muscular as fuck so the pants might be bigger than you’re thinking.” Tossing the pants at Allen, Lenalee pointing her toes so that her calf muscle bulged through her tights. “No offense Allen, but your skinny little legs can’t compare to these calves.” Lavi nodded fervently while Allen looked nervously between the two of them.

 

            “Fine.” Lenalee and Lavi cheered lightly. “But can you guys... not look—can you turn around or something?” The girl rolled her eyes, but did as Allen asked and pulled Lavi to face the wall with her. Once she did, Allen undid his belt and let the oversized jeans fall off his hips. He then tugged on Lenalee’s grey pants, struggling a little to get the bottoms over the heels of his feet. “There. I put them on. I probably look stupid.” He grumbled, but Lavi quickly corrected him.

 

            “Dude, you look hot in skinny jeans.” The red head had turned around to look as soon as Allen had spoken.

 

            “I told you they’d fit! They don’t look too tight, but you will have to cuff the bottoms.” Said Lenalee as she bent down to roll up the bottoms of the pants.

 

            “Do they really look, okay?” Twisting to look at himself, Allen felt the soft material of the jeans. “I guess they’re pretty comfortable.”

 

            “As if I’d wear anything uncomfortable. I’m not this one.” She said, throwing a hand in Lavi’s direction.

 

            “Hey, sometimes there’s a price for looking absolutely amazing, but I deal.” Lavi shrugged and gave a wink, which ended up being just a prolonged blink with a head tilt since he only had one visible eye. “But now we have to put the rest of your outfit together. Do you have a plain white v-neck or something?” Allen nodded and dug one out and sniffed it before deeming it clean enough. “Good, now put it on with the cardigan and then Lena’s belt.”

 

            “I’m not a dress up doll.” The pale boy muttered. Just as Butterfly by Smile.dk started playing from Lavi’s jacket pocket.

 

            “Hey, Yuu—“ Allen could hear Kanda’s voice through the speaker of Lavi’s phone. “Yeah, we’ll be down in a sec okay? Don’t get your expensive silky panties in a twist.” There was more yelling, something along the lines of ‘shut the fuck up’ and ‘why am I the one driving anyways’, and then he hung up. “Alright, kiddo. Costume change and go. Can’t keep him waiting.”

 

            “Fine, but get out of my room!” a sock was hurled at Lavi’s head before Lenalee dragged him out into the hall. “You’re luck Cross isn’t home! He’d lose his shit with all the ruckus you’ve been making.” He said as he changed.

 

            “We haven’t been that loud.” Lavi whined as he teased Tim with the sock Allen had thrown.

 

            “You’ve been loud enough. Come on, let’s go.” Allen sighed and grabbed his keys.

 

            “Oh! One last thing!” Lenalee dug into her bag and pulled out a small tube of clear lipgloss.

 

            “No! Absolutely not!” But Lenalee made her big princess eyes and Allen couldn’t hold up against that. “I hate you both, you know that?” He said before Lenalee applied the lipgloss.

 

            “Allen. Honey. You look like a tumblr aesthetic post and you hardly had to try.” Lavi moved to stand behind his friends then took a quick selfie. “We’ll be turning heads tonight.... and if I’m lucky, getting head too!”

 

            “Lavi!” Lenalee and Allen groaned in unison. It was going to be a long night.

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lavi's outfit was inspired by my friend Cameron, who is basically one of the most fashionable people to exist. I'd also like to just comment that Lavi is genderfluid as fuck.
> 
> Also, Lavi's ringtone for Kanda is exactly what you think it is


	3. A Small Price to Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He might not be a soldier, but Komui is a strong man. He wouldn't have gotten this far otherwise.
> 
> [[warning: blood and slight gore]]

 

            There was a reason the science department rarely left the Order. But this specific occasion required the help of Komui Lee. As the rubble rained around them, the team of finders shielded scientists while Lenalee and Allen fought off the hoard of level 3s.

            “Gege!” Lenalee shouted. Her heel slammed into the akuma’s armor, causing it to crack, but not break. “Get to safety. All of you!” The finders and scientist made for the building to their left, but before they could enter, the front wall burst apart revealing a huge insect-like akuma.

            “Shit! Protect the supervisor!” One finder command, but it was almost too late. A rain of bullets came down, hitting all but one of the finders.

            “No!” Komui hated being on the battlefield. He hated violence and he hated the enormous number of lives lost. The finders before him slowly became covered in stars until they were blackened and turning to dust. The akuma readied to fire again and the scientist refused to let anyone else die. He shoved the remaining finder out of the line of fire and jumped back himself, praying that he would get hit. A sharp pain ran through his arm.

            Somehow, the world felt as though it were moving in slow motion. Komui glanced at the place were his right hand should have been. His mind felt heavy and slow. Should he be panicking? Was he about to die? Where was Lenalee? Was she alright? He just wanted to see his darling sister once more.

            Some one was screaming his name. A flurry of white passed before him. Had he died? Was this an angel, here to take him from this life to the next? Suddenly, he was screaming. Why was he screaming? Why?

 

* * *

 

            Both exorcists saw it happen. Lenalee screamed in horror and rage as an akuma bullet clipped Komui’s hand. In a flash, Lenalee’s leg impaled the last akuma of the hoard, causing it to disappear into purple dust. She was seeing red. Komui couldn’t die. What was she with out him? Who was she without her brother who had given everything for her? She couldn’t lose him!

            Her mind was going too fast for her to think clearly. She called out for her brother, so scared that when she looked at him, he would be nothing but dust. It was like she was four years old again, being taken away from home in the wake of tragedy. But when she looked for her brother, Allen’s huge white cowl blocked her view.

 

            A scream pierced the air.

 

            Allen? What was he doing? Blood splattered on the ground and Allen’s pale figure.

            “Gege?” Her voice sounded young and weak as she landed next to her fellow exorcist. On the ground, she could see Komui’s arm had already turned black and was becoming dust. Her eyes flicked up at Allen whose face was grim and stained with blood and tears. He was concealing something in his cape. Slowly, he revealed an unconscious Komui with Clown Belt forming a tourniquet just above where his elbow should have been. There was so much blood.

            “I’m sorry I didn’t know what else to do, Lenalee. I’m so—“ SMACK! Allen put a hand to his throbbing cheek. Lenalee was crying, telling herself not to be mad. He cut off Komui’s arm to save his life. He hurt her brother, but saved him in the same act. The girl was conflicted.

             “Komui...” She sobbed into her hands.

            “We have to go Lenalee.” Allen said softly. He called the Ark and opened a gate back to the Order.

 

* * *

 

            The matron said her brother was lucky. It was a clean cut and it would heal well in time. Of course, he would be missing his right arm from his elbow down, but he would survive. That’s what mattered, right? Lenalee repeated that again and again in her head.

 

            Komui’s alive. Komui’s alive. Her brother was still here. He wasn’t going anywhere.

 

            For once, their places were reversed. This time it was Lenalee at Komui’s bedside, soaking his sheets with tears. The matron told her it would still be quite some time before he woke up, seeing how much blood he lost, but she couldn’t risk leaving his side and not being there when he came to. Komui had always been there for her, so now she had to be there for him.

            She hadn’t seen Allen since they got back. It was irrational for her to be angry at him, she knew that. But a part of her was furious that he so easily mutilated her brother. Wiping the tears from her face, Lenalee tried to shake the anger. Allen did what he had to. If not for him, Komui would be gone. She hadn’t even taken into account the fact that Allen had to physically cut off Komui’s arm. The boy was probably beating himself up about it and Lenalee knew she should be assuring him that it wasn’t his fault, but... she just couldn’t. Not yet.

 

* * *

 

            Komui woke to warmth on his left side. Cracking his eyes open, he could just barely make out the sleeping form of his little sister. He wasn’t sure if the blurriness in his vision was from whatever pain medication he was on or from the fact that he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

            Everything was a bit numb and foggy. What had happened again? He couldn’t quite recall, not that he really cared at the moment. He blinked a few times, allowing his vision to become a little clearer. Lenalee was asleep with her hand on his. With a smile he went to move the hair from her face, but was met with nothing but a dull pulse of pain.

            Suddenly he remembered. The akuma bullets. The finders. He pushed one out of the way and--- He got hit. Everything from there was a bit fuzzy, but Komui was a smart man. It didn’t take much for him to realize what had happened. Allen Walker had saved his life. An arm was a small price to pay for his life.

            Finally he glanced over at his right side. The remainder of his arm was wrapped heavily in white bandages. Well, this was going to be an inconvenience wasn’t it? He supposed he should have more of a reaction to the loss of limb, but maybe the pain medication was keeping him calm. There was a soft sigh from the girl at his side and Komui realized his movements were probably disturbing her sleep. Slowly, Lenalee blinked awake and raised her head.

            “Gege?” Her voice was groggy and small, but full of relief. “Gege, you’re awake!” A fresh stream of tears ran down her face as she hugged her brother. “Komui I was so afraid! I thought I might lose you!”

            “I’m here meimei. I wouldn’t leave you behind.” The scientist murmured as he stroked Lenalee’s chin length hair. “Who else would be there to fend off all the nasty octopi that wish to steal your heart?” The girl looked exasperated, but gave a laugh. He was so glad he would be able to see her smile again.

            Komui spent two days in bed before he was well enough to leave the infirmary. If the matron had her way, the scientist would have stayed longer. But the reality was that Komui was her superior. She couldn’t force him in the way she could exorcists and finders.

            Lenalee was worried for him. The first thing he did after leaving the infirmary was shut himself in his personal lab. The science department was no stranger to trauma and tragedy, but they rarely got severe injuries like those who worked in the field. The girl wondered if Komui would become depressed because of his new disability. Walking down the hall, Lenalee stared at the ground, distracted. What was he doing in that lab anyways? No one had seen him for three days now. Only Lenalee came by to leave plates of food and coffee outside the locked door. She would come back to find the plates gone so hopefully that mean he was eating.

 

            It was just about noon so Lenalee walked down to the dining hall to get food for her brother. She approached Jerry’s window looking a bit solemn.

 

            “Still nothing, huh?” The chef sighed upon seen the exorcist. Lenalee shook her head.

 

            “The plates are gone, though so that’s a good sign, right?” She asked hopefully. Jerry smiled in response. Before she could give Jerry her lunch order, there was a distant explosion. Every one in the room turned their head in the direction of the sound. “Gege!” Lenalee darted off to find the source of the sound.

            There was a huge commotion just outside the lab. Dust clouded the air and scientists were frantically trying minimize any damage to their work.

            “I’m back!~” A voice sang from deep with the lab. A grappling hook shot forward from the darkness and latched onto a banister above Lenalee’s head. She quickly realized it was a robotic hand that had grabbed onto banister. As the dust cleared, Komui rocketed forward, pulled by the cord of the metal hand. “Tada!” He said as he landed a few feet in front of his sister. She just blinked at him in shock. “Look meimei! I made a new arm for myself! Isn’t it wonderful? I used some of the blue prints from Komuirin plus what I knew about—ah!” Lenalee smacked him on the head.

            “Gege! You... You!” She had been so worried about him and now he just pops out all smiles and pride. Couldn’t he have at least told her what he was doing? “You had me so worried this whole time!”

            “Lenalee!” Komui called out in distress as his little sister stormed off. She wasn’t really mad a Komui, just a little frustrated... Which reminded her that there was someone she had to talk to.

 

 

* * *

 

 

            Allen sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard. He stared absently at his innocence hand. It had been nearly a week since he cleaned away of all the blood, but he could still feel the phantom sensation of flesh, muscle and bone snapping between his fingers. His claw tore through Komui’s arm so easily. Human flesh was so fragile. He felt nauseous. The scene of cutting through skin played in his head again and again. The way the skin split, the muscle tearing still warm and alive. The bone had snapped like a twig. He pressed a fist to his forehead and shuddered.

            Even fore he joined the Order, Allen was no stranger to bloodshed. It was just; he had never spilled the blood of a comrade. Not like this, at least. He had made the right choice. That was the truth. But he felt like a traitor for turning his weapon on a friend. The last time he turn his innocence on someone he cared about was Mana. It had been so easy and that terrified him.

            Lenalee hadn’t spoken to him since they returned through the gate, shouting for the medical team. Not that Allen had made any effort to speak with her either. Aside from eating and training, he had shut himself in his room. He felt a bit childish for it, but he was afraid she would hate him now.

            She had every right to be angry with him. He had hurt her precious brother. They shared a blood connection that he would never know. It had been said to him before that it didn’t matter that he never knew his blood family. The bonds of a chosen family were just as strong. But still, the Lee siblings were connected by blood, something so rare in the Order where every other person he met was an orphan and had nothing but memories of their families.

            Tucking his knees to his chest, Allen closed his eyes and tried to will away the ghost of warm blood between his fingers. A knock on his door, startled him out of his thoughts. Wearily, he opened the door to see Lenalee standing there with her head slightly down.

            “Oh.... Lenalee, how is your brother?” He asked in as calm a voice as he could manage. When she didn’t respond, his expression fell a bit. “I completely understand if you don’t want me coming around hi—“

            “I’m sorry, Allen.” Lenalee interrupted his self-deprecating little speech and pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thank you for saving my brother. I’m not mad at you, you idiot. So stop hiding yourself away like this.” Still in slight shock, Allen hesitantly hugged her back and gave a sigh of relief. “You saved my precious family, but please don’t forget that you’re my family too, Allen.”

            “R-really?” The boy’s face flushed and he pulled out of the hug just so he could look Lenalee in the face. She giggled slightly at his embarrassment but nodded. Allen was just lucky Komui was too distracted with showing off his new prosthetic to be anywhere near the pair.

 


	4. Literacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off what was said in the latest Komui Corner

            He wasn’t sure how he had dodged it for this long, but if had finally caught up with him. There was no avoiding this report this time. It was a solo mission so he couldn’t push it off onto anyone else and Komui needed a written account, not a verbal one. Allen stared at the mission report sheet, it’s blank lines more intimidating than any akuma. It wasn’t as though he didn’t know how to write. He could read and write in several different languages, but his literacy was far behind where one would expect them to be.

            He was ten years old when he started to learn to write. Before then, he had known how to read some basic words, but it wasn’t as though any one had ever taught him. Mana had tried, but most of the time, it just wasn’t on the clown’s mind. The only reason Cross had taught him anything was because he “wasn’t going to drag around an illiterate idiot”. The words stung more than he would ever let show.

            Allen could play the part of the proper gentleman as much as he liked, but nothing would ever change the fact that he wasn’t raised in that sort of life. He wasn’t a noble, he was an orphan street urchin.

            So there he sat, his pen tip creating a saturated dot on the report sheet. Allen sighed and tried to convince him that Komui would be the only one to really look at this and the man wouldn’t judge his penmanship. It was only a four-day mission, how much could there be to write about? This shouldn’t be that hard.

            Three hours in, Allen decided that mission reports were in fact the worst part about being an exorcist. Several times, he had switched hands to write with, despite the fact that his right hand didn’t move with the same precision as his left. The soft flesh between his thumb and palm burned and his fingers cramped.

            He stared at the scraggly writing, his letters big and wobbly. The words were a bit crooked and they dipped above and below the lines in places. It looked as though a child had written it. What could he say? He had only been writing for about three years now and it wasn’t as though Cross took the time to properly tutor him or even find someone who would help him. He was glad he could at least read proficiently now, though much more slowly than Lenalee or Kanda.  

            It took him four hours to write the three and a half page report. It may have taken less time had he not been so focused on making it legible, but he just couldn’t shake the shame he felt. The young exorcist knew he wasn’t stupid. He was excellent when it came to battle tactics and he could do math fairly well due to the amounts of the debt he had to handle, but reading and writing just weren’t part of the skill sets he had needed to survive. It wasn’t his fault he hadn’t gotten any proper schooling.

            One last time, he looked over the report, muttering to himself as he read it though for grammatical errors. He knew there were probably spelling mistakes, but the report was already late as it was. As he made his way to Komui’s office, Allen sighed heavily and tried to swallow the anxiety that was burning in his chest.

 

            “Komui?” His head full of white hair poked through the door to find the scientist fast asleep on his desk. Letting on a breath of relief, Allen came forward and stuck his papers under small stack of other mission reports then sped out of the room. It made things a lot easier if he didn’t have to see how Komui would react to his less than apt penmanship.

            Eventually, he would get better at reading and writing. He knew he would. Now that he was with the Order and his day-to-day life wasn’t about just trying to survive, he could do this. Looking for a tutor wasn’t really an option. If he did that, it would be too easy for word to get out and he wasn’t sure if he could handle the looks of pity or the patronization.

            He would learn on his own, just like he always had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was short. I wanted to write more but it wasn't coming.


	5. Adventures of Single Parent Cross Marian: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on liketolaugh's post about how we know that because they have naturally red hair Lavi and Allen should have freckles, but by that logic Cross too should have freckles.
> 
> I've been dying to write some parental!Cross. Even if he's a shitty parent he at least tries... sometimes...
> 
> I also want to note really quickly, this is set only maybe a month or two after they started traveling together. So neither Cross nor Allen really know what they're doing yet.

            “Oh my god, Cross!” One of the several woman around him crooned. “Your son is adorable!” The red head nearly choked on the expensive wine he was drinking. Directing his gaze at the woman who had spoken, Jess was her name, he saw his eleven year old apprentice blinking at her with wide silver eyes. Normally, Cross would have shouted for him to go back up to the room and stay out of sight, but with the way the girls started fawning over him, the man supposed that wouldn’t go over so well.

            “Allen, come here.” He beckoned, waving a gloved hand at the boy. Allen trotted over, painfully aware that his master wasn’t exactly pleased with his arrival. “What...” Internally he groaned and reminded himself to sound nicer in front of the women. “Is there something you need?”

            “M’hungry.” Mumbled the boy, who was shuffling awkwardly as he stood by Cross. He was still painfully shy around new people and all the attention he was getting at the moment was probably frying his brain.

            “There’s some bread still in the kitchen. Perhaps we have something else you can have with it. Another one of the girls, Meli, chirped and ran off to get it. Cross was a little shocked at how easily Allen’s cute face got him what he wanted. Looking back at his apprentice, Cross could see a slight glimmer in his silver eyes that mean Allen had the same thoughts as Cross. He had yet to deny that Allen was his son, so perhaps they could play this game for a while.

            Patting a hand on his leg, he motioned for Allen to sit on his lap. Immediately his apprentice gave him a sharp look, like he thought this might be a trick. It wasn’t as though Cross had ever been the affectionate type. At least not with him. With the slightest of nods, he convinced Allen to come over and sit on his leg. The boy’s embarrassed face elicited some more ‘aw’s from the ladies.

            “ Oh, he looks just like you!” Jess sat opposite him at the table and stared at Allen with bright eyes. Cross could sense the boy’s discomfort, but the general figured his could suffer a little long knowing he would be getting food out of the deal. But then Jess frown and looked up at Cross. “Poor child, how did he get that awful scar?”

            “He doesn’t like to talk about it.” He answered quickly, feeling how the boy tensed up and ducked his head to cover his face in shadows. The girls got the message quickly, and didn’t press further, though the pitying stares did not cease. Allen shrank slightly, pressing his back to Cross’ chest.Then Meli returned from the kitchen toting half a loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese.

            “I bring gifts!” She said cheerily, causing Allen to perk up again. As soon as she set the food down, Allen reached for the bread to tear off a piece. “And for the father.” Meli grinned and poured Cross another glass of wine.

            “Cross, he has your freckles!” Someone squealed.

            “Eh?!” Both he and Allen nearly choked. They looked at each other in shock, searching each other’s face for the aforementioned spots. The boy had a few freckles, a light dusting of spots that were slightly darker than the rest of his face. Cross thought back to the Allen he once knew, who had indeed been a red head, but spent far more time in libraries than he did in the sun. Because of that, he had always been dreadfully pale and his freckles could hardly be seen.

            As for his own freckles, he certainly knew they existed, but he wore that wide brimmed hat for a reason. He hated them. They clashed terribly with his mask so he did everything he could to keep them from being too visible. However when they traveled to places where the sun was always blisteringly bright, he couldn’t avoid it.

            Cross wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or smack Allen upside the head for the owlish look on his face. He chose the former, enjoying the lighter mood that filled the room as the girls continued to fawn over Allen. But eventually, he began to feel Allen’s weight sag and he leaned on to the table. The bread and cheese were long gone, and soon the remaining crumbs would be too. Silver eyes blinked slowly, indicating how tired the boy way. It was late anyways and the girls seems to be winding down a bit as well

            “Well, ladies. I should be taking this one back to bed.” He said as he ran a finger over the rim of his empty wine glass. There was a pleasant warmth in his chest, which he attributed to the alcohol. After nudging Allen to get up, Cross stood and said his goodnights to the girls. Ushering his sleepy apprentice towards the stair, he watched the women mutter about Allen’s cuteness.

            Once they reached their room, Cross folded his arms and stared at the boy. The apparent sleepiness from before had mostly disappeared and he had a shit eating grin on his face. In all honesty, Cross was dumbfounded. He knew Allen had been playing up the cuteness, but he hadn’t realized it was that much of an act.

            “Jesus fuck, kid.” The general couldn’t deny that he was impressed. “That’s one helluva skill you got there.” Allen rocked back and forth on his heels a little, still grinning, but a real yawn stretched open his mouth revealing that he truly was tired. “Now get to bed, idiot apprentice.” The boy obeyed and Cross shed his clothes to get ready for bed himself. As he sat on the edge of the bed, braiding his thick red hair, he eyed his apprentice, curled in on himself with with a blanket and pillow. Cross almost considered letting the boy sleep at the foot of the bed, when Allen spoke.

            “You know,” The voice was small but solid and sharp. “you’re not my father. And you never will be.” It took Cross by surprise to hear such harsh words from his usually mild mannered apprentice. He smirked as he realized that the tone wouldn’t have sounded so strange from the Allen he knew in the past. It was actually a little refreshing to hear him talk like his old self instead of the painted image of Mana.

            “No, shit, kid.” Cross scoffed, lying down on his back. He had no intentions of getting attached to the kid. After all, he was nothing more than a vessel at this point. One day this brat would fade out to make room for Neah. It was only a matter of time. “But if it gets us hand outs, you got those damned freckles from me, alright?”


	6. Adventures of Sing Parent Cross Marian: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross never knows what he's supposed to say to Allen when he has nightmares. He just knows he doesn't want to see the light die out in that boy's eyes.

based off [this post ](http://madeoficeandfire.tumblr.com/post/149320011135/imagine-this-when-allen-was-little-after-he-had)by madeoficeandfire

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            Cross woke to the sound of a child crying. More specifically, it was the sound of his 12 year old apprentice half screaming in hysterics. Since he woke up from his catatonic state almost a year ago, the boy hadn’t been able to go a week without at least one night terror that sent him into a flat out panic attack. With a groan, Cross’ bare feet touched the cold ground. It was almost two in the morning and he was exhausted from the day prior. His ponytail was half undone and he barely had the energy to slap his mask on before trudging down the hall to Allen’s room. Maybe a good parent would have gone running the second they heard a scream, but Cross Marian was no parent. And even if he was, there was no way he’d be a good one.

            The cries turned to panicked whimpering by the time Cross made it to the door. He stared at the shivering boy with one tired crimson eye, trying to focus on why the hell he was doing this. But then Allen looked at him with tear-filled mercury eyes and Cross decided he hated this whole damn plan.

            “You wanna talk about it or sumthin’?” He asked, his voice low and husky from sleep. Allen shook his head no. He always did. It was always a mystery as to how he was supposed to deal with Allen when he was like this. Sure, he feed the kid and changed his sheets when he was unresponsive for over a month, but he hadn’t a clue on how to care for him emotionally. Why did he ever think he could do this?

            “Please don’t leave me alone.” The boy’s voice was so small Cross had to wonder if Allen wanted to be heard at all. More often than not, Allen appeared far older than his age. The aftermath of these nightmares were some of the few times that Allen acted as young as he was. Cross sighed loudly and pulled over a chair to drop into. The boy’s small pale fist grabbed at the sheet, looking for something to ground him.

            They weren’t always this bad. For the first six months, Allen would wake up every night crying and drenched in sweat. Cross never asked what the nightmares were about, but he didn’t need to. More often than not the boy would grab his face upon awakening, and hold a hand over his left eye. Over time, the screaming and thrashing turned to sobbing and shaking and then into just pained whimpers. There were still times when the general would have to shake his apprentice awake just to get him to stop screaming, but those times were few and far between now.

            But as grateful as he was for the quieter nights, it also... damn it all to hell, it also concerned him. He feared that Allen wasn’t actually getting better, but rather he was just becoming numb to it. That was one thing he couldn’t bare to see. Cross had dealt with more than enough trauma and it had turned him into a bitter, cold, cynical alcoholic who was just barely holding onto his will to live. He didn’t want Allen to end up like him. It shouldn’t have bothered him. The fate of this child was written long before he was even born. He knew how this was supposed to end, so he shouldn’t care about how the boy turned out. It wouldn’t matter once Neah returned anyways. But something in his chest burned at the thought of the light in Allen’s eyes dying out again. After all he had been through, Cross was amazed to see the flicker of hope return to Allen’s face. There was the fire of determination burning somewhere inside him and it was just enough to keep the brat going. He couldn’t afford to lose that light.

            Looking back down at his apprentice, Cross watched the boy’s unsteady breaths begin to slow. Despite all of his growth in recent training, Allen was still very small and thin. The lack of sleep resulted in deep shadows under his big grey eyes. He looked ill. In a way, he was. There was so much healing he still had to do, but there just wasn’t the time.

            Finally, it seemed as though the boy had drifted back off to sleep. Cross stood up to leave, careful not to make noise. But before leaving, he turned back to look at his small apprentice.

            “Don’t let your light die, kid.” He spoke softly, just barely loud enough for himself to hear. “Don’t let this world stomp out that fire in you. There are people that are good, you just gotta find them.” Combing a hand through his tangled red main, Cross glared into the ceiling. Why was he in this mess again? “Of course, that doesn’t mean you should trust everyone. People are shit, but you already knew that.... I’m a shit person. Don’t be like me, Allen... You probably won’t live long. That’s the reality of this war. So you’ve gotta make do with the time you’ve got. Learn to trust people, but don’t make them everything you’ve got. People die and you’ll end up cold and alone more often then not.” He was so fucking tired of this war already. When was it going to end?

            “But, you mourn them and you cry and you move on. Shutting everyone out doesn’t make you strong. It just makes you cold.” With a sigh, Cross moved to the doorway and leaned against it. “Just don’t let this world break you, kid. It’s gonna try its damndest to make you buckle down and die, but you’re strong, stronger than me. You just gotta bare the pain and just... just keep walking.” He almost laughed. All of this emotional shit was giving him a headache. Cross returned to his room, but didn’t go back to sleep.

 


End file.
